Cinderella
by Christina B
Summary: As Leia grows up right before his eyes, Anakin Skywalker will always remember her as his little girl. Vignette/Songfic Very AU


AN: Ok, I was listening to the song Cinderella today by Steven Curtis Chapman and I was suddenly inspired to write this story. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own the song Cinderella or Star Wars.

**Cinderella**

_She spins and she sways to whatever song plays_

_Without__ a care in the world_

_And I'm sitting wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders_

_It's been a long day and there's still work to do_

_She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!__"_

_There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and __I need to practice my __dancin_

_"__Oh please, Daddy, please!__"_

She was beautiful. As Anakin Skywalker watched his daughter, he was overtaken by the love and pride he felt for his little girl. Leia looked so very much like her mother, yet her temperament was more like his. Anakin was taken by surprise when he learned he was going to be a father, and there were so many times when he felt he wasn't adequate for the job. But moments like these when he watched his Leia play, he was in utter and total awe. He loved Luke just as much, but there was a very special place in his heart where his daughter resided.

"Daddy," Leia asked running up to Anakin. She looked at him with big brown eyes and a grin that showed the gaps where her baby teeth had recently departed.

"Yes, Leia?" Anakin asked, smiling at her.

"Will you dance with me?" she asked.

Anakin chuckled. "I'm not very graceful."

Leia frowned, and her warm brown eyes looked downcast. Her disappointment was something, Anakin couldn't handle. He stood up, and bowed gently. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes, Daddy," Leia replied curtseying."

As Anakin danced with his daughter he realized how this was just one more moment he would cherish forever.

_So I dance with Cinderella_

_While she is here in my arms_

_Cause I know something the prince never knew_

_Oh I will dance with Cinderella_

_I don't want to miss even one song_

_'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

_And she'll be gone_

_She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed_

_She__ wants to know if I approve of the dress_

_She says, "Dad the prom is just one week away"_

_And I need to practice my __danci__n__"Oh please, Daddy, please!"_

Anakin wasn't very pleased in the least. His children were teenagers now, and as much as he loved them sometimes this could be a trial. Luke was well on his way to becoming a Jedi, and Leia was on a mission to follow in Padme's footsteps as much as Luke was following his. But there was one thing he wasn't very happy about, and that was Leia's choice of boyfriend.

Han Solo was a low life smuggler whose smart attitude and cocky personality had somehow bewitched his daughter. Leia continued to tell him that Han was really a honest and caring individual, but the truth was Anakin didn't see it.

Perhaps he was too harsh and maybe he was blowing things way out of proportion. The one thing he knew was that his little girl was growing up too fast, and it saddened him. If only he could turn back time.

_So I dance with Cinderella_

_While she is here in my arms_

_'Cause I know something the prince never knew_

_Oh I will dance with Cinderella_

_I don't want to miss even one song_

_'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

_And she'll be gon__e_

_But she came home today with a ring on her hand_

_Just __glowin__' and __tellin__' us all they had planned_

_She says, "Dad the wedding's still six months away but I need to practice my __dancin_

_"Oh please, Daddy, please!"_

The day had finally arrived when Leia married Han Solo. For so long Anakin had been hoping that his daughter would see sense, but the truth was she had fallen in love with Han. In the end Anakin had realized that his fear of letting go of Leia was what upset him in the first place. And so he did the only thing a loving father could do; he let her go.

And though Anakin was still as protective of Leia as he'd always been, he knew that she would be alright. Leia was absolutely right about Han, and though it had taken Anakin a long time to see it. Han Solo had a rough exterior, but on the inside Anakin could see that he cared for Leia almost as much as he did. Anakin knew that his only daughter was in very good hands.

Anakin watched as Leia danced with her husband for the first time and he tried to hide the tears he couldn't stop. He felt a warm hand on his should and he smiled at Padme, she understood exactly what he was dealing with. He had such vivid memories of his daughter throughout the years, and they found this the perfect time to surface.

Before he knew it, Leia was standing right in front of him. Anakin looked at his beautiful daughter, still overcome by the emotions that raged in his heart.

"Dad," Leia said smiling. "Can I have this dance?"

"You may," Anakin said standing up and taking her hands in his. "But I should warn you, I'm still not a graceful dancer"

"I wouldn't have you any other way."

As father and daughter danced once more they could never forget the first time and they knew that this memory could never be forgotten.

_So I dance with Cinderella_

_While she is here in my arms_

_Cause I know something the prince never knew_

_Oh I will dance with Cinderella_

_I don't want to miss even one song_

_Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

_And she'll, she'll be gone_


End file.
